News

Russian dominance in Zagreb Day 4

The second preliminary round has finished in the EUBC European Youth Continental Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, where the best 80 boxers remain in the competition.

Russia is the most successful nation after the preliminaries, as nine out of their ten athletes advanced to the quarter-finals in the championships.

Bout of the day

Italy’s Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Champion and AIBA Youth World Championships bronze medallist Vincenzo Arecchia arrived in Zagreb as one of the favourite of the Light Welterweight class (64 kg), and the 18-year-old Italian boxer had to meet with Moldova’s EUBC European Junior Champion Vladislav Tugui in the second preliminary round which was as good as an early final in the championships.

Tugui started with great combinations in their bout, but he was too tired in the second part of the contest therefore the Italian gold medal contender was able to win their top level match by split decision.

Arecchia’s Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympian teammate, Vincenzo Lizzi also won his contest in Zagreb, as he was able to stop Armenia’s Golden Gloves of Vojvodina Youth Tournament silver medallist Tigran Melkonyan in the first round.

Team of the day

Their youth boxers then had a perfect day on the fourth competition day where all of their five Russian athletes advanced to next round, which raises the number of their medal possibilities up to nine in the championships.

Their Flyweight class (52 kg) boxer Levan Khasaya, who claimed a silver medal in the Russian Youth National Championships, defeated Spain’s Gabriel Escobar in a close contest, and their second triumph on Day 5 was delivered by AIBA Youth World Championships competitor Aital Diakonov at the Bantamweight class (56 kg) who was too smart for Georgia’s Ucha Maisuradze.

AIBA Junior World Champion Ivan Kozlovskiy is a gold medal contender at the Light Welterweight class (64 kg), and the 17-year-old Kozlovskiy won all of the rounds against Czech Republic’s Daniel Bazo and advanced to the Top 8 in Zagreb.

Radzhab Radzhabov is a newcomer in the national team, and he needed to be at his very best against Poland’s Sebastian Wiktorzak.

After the equal two rounds the Russian boxer knocked out the Polish competitor in the final frame.

Russia’s Marat Kerimkhanov was a bronze medallist in the Nanjing, and in the AIBA Youth World Championships in Sofia, therefore his triumph over Croatia’s 17-year-old Miljan Lakovic was not a surprise in Zagreb.

Surprise of the day

Austria’s Aleksandar Mraovic began boxing only in 2012, and has had less than twenty bouts during his short career, but he was able to get a bronze medal at the 2013 European Junior Continental Championships in Anapa, Russia one year ago.

The Austrian boxer is a natural talent in our sport, and boasts big power, and he was able to shock Hungary’s AIBA Youth World Championships bronze medallist Laszlo Komor in Zagreb.

The Hungarian boxer took the lead after the first three minutes, but Mraovic demonstrated his amazing power in the second round and delivered the biggest surprise of Day 4.

Ones to watch

England’s AIBA Youth World Championships silver medallist and Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games bronze medallist Muhammad Ali is the main favourite of the Flyweight class (52 kg) in Zagreb, and the 18-year-old boxer dominated the first two rounds over Ukraine’s Youth national Selection Tournament winner Mykyta Charuta, so therefore the referee stopped their bout before the final bell.

Ukraine’s current best youth athlete in their team is Oleksiy Tokarchuk who has only lost once over the past year, and the 18-year-old Welterweight class (69 kg) boxer advanced to the quarter-finals following his triumph over Germany’s Brian Hellwig.

One of his main rivals, Georgia’s Giorgi Kharabadze defeated Hungary’s AIBA Youth World Championships quarter-finalist Bernard Barsony, and after that success he eliminated Sweden’s Oliver Flodin.

Judge Score Card

Date*

Competition*

Playoffs

Bout Number*

Judge Name*

FirstLast

Judge Number*

Judge NOC Code

RED

NOC Code*

Round Number

Round Score*

BLUE

NOC Code

Round Number

Round Score*

Winner

FirstLast

In case of a Tie, my preference is to be filled at the end of the bout only.

Signature*

By checking this box you are agreeing that you are the authorized signatory.

Stat/Fact of the day

Twenty-seven nations out of the competing thirty-nine have got at least one remaining boxer in the quarter-final stage of the EUBC European Youth Continental Championships in Zagreb.

England’s Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games bronze medallist Peter McGrail will now meet Moldova’s top boxer Dorin Bucsa at the Bantamweight class (56 kg) while in a further anticipated bout, Russia’s Islam Tekeyev will be fighting for the guaranteed medal with England’s 17-year-old Viddal Riley at the Light Heavyweight class (81 kg).

Videos

Hosts' favorite Ivan Dychko was ahead on the judges scoring cards in the third round, when Azerbaijani super heavyweight Magomedrasul Medzhidov challenged him twice with the right punch retaining his title.